Health
Should you floss before or after you brush your teeth?
Brushing your teeth is important for keeping your mouth clean, preventing cavities and avoiding noxious breath. Flossing is equally important for many of the same reasons — but should you floss before or after brushing?
The official stance of the American Dental Association (ADA) is that it doesn't matter. "Either way is acceptable as long as you do a thorough job," the ADA says.
"Flossing will get deeper into your gums than a toothbrush will alone, and it will get any food particles that are where the toothbrush can't reach, so really any order is effective," Dr. Naomi Lane, a board-certified pediatric dentist in Greensboro, North Carolina, told Live Science.
Still, there's an argument to be made for flossing first, before you brush, Dr. Chavala Harris, a dentist in Durham, North Carolina, told Live Science in an email.
Related: How does plaque cause cavities?
"Flossing before brushing will allow removal of any food debris and plaque accumulation between the surfaces of teeth," Harris said. "Brushing after flossing will then remove all remaining food debris and plaque accumulation on the front and back surfaces of teeth."
However, this is more of an educated guess than scientifically founded advice, Lane noted.
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